Big, big crowds here at Breakout Toronto Con! Lots of games being played and lots of fun being had. #BoardGames #gamers #RPGs #TabletopGames #TorontoGamers #gamingInToronto #conventions #ToDoInToronto #TorontoEvents #eventsToronto #GameConventions #Breakout #Toronto #Breakout2019 #BreakoutCon2919 #BreakoutToronto #BreakoutCon (at Sheraton Centre Toronto) https://www.instagram.com/p/BvFJTJxHRW-/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=f87dbkxmo4ny
In the last few years Gaming Conferences have been growing and consolidating as an essential part of the gaming and mobile industry. The list of events celebrated around the world this year is pretty long (you can check an almost complete list here), so, to help you out in the decision making process of which ones to attend, we have created a list of the what we think will be the top 10 Gaming Events in 2014.
http://europe.casualconnect.org/
Produced by the Casual Games Association, Casual Connect is one of the important events for the casual games industry, with around 6,500 professionals attending each year. It is a good opportunity to improve your network and knowledge while also feeling the pulse of the casual gaming industry in Europe.
2. South by SouthWest Interactive, Austin, 7-11 March 2014
http://sxsw.com/interactive
Best known for its music content, the interactive/gaming side of South By SouthWest festival has been growing in importance as an incubator for new technologies and digital creativity, this year also has a stronger gaming-focus. The event features five days of presentations and panels by important names in the industry, and will host all kind of networking events, awards and shows.
3. GDC, San Francisco, 17-21 March 2014
http://www.gdconf.com/
The Game Developers Conference (GDC) is the world’s largest and longest-running professionals-only game industry event. With the participation of more than 23,000 insiders including programmers, artists, producers, game designers, audio professionals, business decision-makers and other people involved in the development of games, GDC has become an important forum to discuss the current trends in the industry, exchange ideas and shape the future of the industry. The conference features over 400 lectures, panels, tutorials and round-table discussion, and also an expo area.
4. E3 , Los Angeles, 10 - 12 June 2014
http://www.e3expo.com/
Owned by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), E3 is an annual trade show for computer, video games and related products. It is a good event for video game publishers and accessory manufacturers to show off their upcoming games and game-related merchandise. The fair is an exclusive industry only event.
5. Gamelab, Barcelona, June 2014
http://www.gamelab.es
Celebrated in Barcelona annually at the end of June (this year exact dates haven’t been announced yet), Gamelab is addressed to games and interactive entertainment companies and projects. The main objective of the event is helping out the growth of new business initiatives in the European games sector, with special attention to those ones in an early stage of development. The event features conferences, workshops, business meetings, games & entertainment showcases, an award nights and all kind of networking events and parties.
6. Chinajoy, Shanghai, 31 July – 3 August 2014
http://en.chinajoy.net/
Chinajoy is the largest gaming and digital entertainment exhibition held in China, and is celebrated annually in Shanghai. It features a series of conferences including the China Game Business Conference (CGBC) and the China Game Developers Conference (CGCD), a part from a big Business to Business Area and a huge Business to Customer Area. We attended last year event, most of the conferences were in Chinese and the simultaneous translation to English wasn't quite up to standard, but Chinajoy it is definitely the place to be if you want to start making business in China.
Gamescom is a trade fair for video games held annually in Germany. It is the largest gaming event in Europe, with over 340,000 visitors last year. It is an exceptional place for video games developers to show off their upcoming games and game-related hardware.
8. Tokyo Game Show, Chiba Prefecture, September 2014
http://tgs.cesa.or.jp/english/
Held annually around mid September (this year exact dates haven’t been announced yet), Tokyo Game Show is a video game expo and convention presented by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA) and the Nikkei Business Publications, Inc. The game show focuses on Japanese games, but there are also some international video-game developers using it to show off their upcoming releases and hardware.
9. Casual Connect Kyiv, Kiev, 22-24 October 2014
http://kyiv.casualconnect.org/
Produced by the Casual Games Association, Casual Connect Kyiv is a global conference that recognizes and serves the game development community in Eastern Europe. The show includes speakers from many multinational organizations and it brings to table the most current topics, useful industry learning and valuable connections with the most qualified and successful game developers in Easter Europe and beyond.
10. G-Star, Busan, November 2014
http://www.gstar.or.kr/eng/
G-Star is an annual trade show for the computer and video games industry hosted by K-IDEA and is celebrated around mid November (this year exact dates haven’t been announced yet). The show is focused on the South Korean game market, with the participation of local operators like NCsoft, Hangame, NHN, Nexon or Webzen, but also other overseas companies. The Korean mobile market has become a big business opportunity for developers, but if you want to get in you will need a good publisher to help you on the way to Korean success, G-Star may be perfect place to find that partner.
